Seal.



N. H. TUNKS. l

SEAL.

APPLIUATION FILED 11111.23, 1911.

1,028,800, Patented June 4, 1912.

40 1 tional View of my improved seal when the NELSON `H. TUNKS,' 0F LIMA, OHIO.

SEAL.

l Application led January 23, 1911. Serial No. (104,213.

Specication of Letters Patent.

Patented June 4, 1912.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, NELSON H. TUNKS, a citizen of the United States, residing at Lima, in the county of Allen and State of Ohio, have invented a certain new and useful Seal, of which the following is a specicatio-n.

The object of my invention is to provide a seal for fastening doorsand the like of simple, durable, and inexpensive construction which may be formed complete of a single piece of sheet metal, or may be formed of two pieces, thus using scraps and odd pieces, and which may then be easily and quickly applied to a car door or any other place where a device of this kind is desirable, 'and fastened without the use of any tools whatever, and which when closed and fastened cannot be removed or opened without breaking or showing signs of being tampered wit-h.

A further object of my invention is to provide in such a seal meanswhereby the seal is locked, by applying it to the door or other place where such seal is to be'used.

My invention consists in certain details in the construction, arrangement, and combination of the various parts of the device whereby the objects contemplated are attained as hereinafter setA forth, pointed 4out in my claims and illustrated inthe accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 shows a plan view of a sheet metal blank from which a seal embodying my invention may be made, with the prongs 17 inj clined upwardly. Fig. 2 shows la like view with the side wings folded over. Fig. 3 shows a sectional view on' the' line 3 3 of Fig. 2, looking in the direction indicated by the arrow; Fig. 4t shows a vertical cent-ral secsame is closed. Fig. 5 shows an inverted plan view of my seal closed, the loop being omitted. Fig. 6 shows a plan view' of a modified form. Fig. 7 shows a central vertical sectional view of the same closed. Fig. 8 shows a vertical plan view of the same.

In the accompanying drawings, Fig. 1 shows a'sheet metal blank with all'the parts complete from which my seal is formed. I have used the numeral'lO to indicate a narrow flat strip fwhich forms ,the body` of the seal. Atione end of said strip which I shall call the inner end is a transverse slot 11. The portion of the blankY adjacent to the slot 11 on the side nearest the inner end of side wings 12 opposite each other, and extending laterally from the strip 10. The

side wings are folded over the body of the seal blank with their edges adjacent to each other, as shown in Fig. 2.

That portion of the seal blank, located between the side wings 12, I have indicated by the reference numeral 20. The said wings 12 are located at points on the body of the blank, spaced from its outer end, and that portion ofthe outer end of said blank Whichextends beyond the side Wings 12, I have indicated by the reference numeral 13. On the outer sides of the wings 12 are longitudinaly prongs 17 formed by cutting longitudinal slits in said sidewings from their length, said sprongs being inclined downwardly and toward the outer end of the seal blank when the side wings 12 are folded over. Small notches 15 are cut opposite each other in the sides of the extension 13y at points lslightly spaced from the portion 20 and the side wings 12. Transverse slits 16 approximately equal in length to the depth of the notches 15, are cut in the sides of the extension 13 opposite each other at points slightly spaced from the notches 15, and when the seal iscompleted the portions of the blank between each slit16 and adjacent notch 15 are bent toward the body of the seal blank, so as to forinA short tongues 18 between the notches `15 and slits 16 on the respectivesides of the seal blank. Near the end of the extension 13 is a transverse slot 14; designed Ato freely receive the inner end of the strip l0.

In the modified form of my seal shown'in Figs. 6, 7 and 8, I construct a blank composed of a strip 10 and an extension 13 similar to the strip 10 and the rextension 13'hereinbefore described. A separate piece of sheet metal somewhat wider than the extension 13, is used to `form the side wings 12. In the separate piece are cut transverse slots 20a, and the separate piece'is mounted on the strip 10 by extending the'strip 10 1 through the slot-s a, as shown iniFigs. and 7. Prongs 17a are formed .on the. .sides of said separate metal piece` adjacent to the extension 13, and the side wings 12 areV folded over the strip 10, with their edges adjacent to each other. rIfhe prongs 17 areA then bent downwardly andtoward the lextension 13. Transverse slots 16 are cut opposite each other in said 4separate metalpiece near the extensionV 13 thereby forming tongues which are bent downwardly toward the strip 10 kwhen the side wings V12 are folded over. v

The extension 13 may be constructed with a longitudinal extension 24 at its free end having side wings 23. The extension 13 in the modified form is folded over the folded mately over the depression 19.

The depressions 22 are formed in the portions 20 and in Vthe separate metal piece of the modified form for a purpose hereinafter explained.

In completingmy seal for use the side wings 12 are folded over until their putside edges are adjacent to each other, the prongs 17 are pressed downwardly until their ends rest in the depression 22. The tongues or l projections 18, formed by the slits 16 are bent downwardlywhen the wings 12 are in folded position. The ends of said tongues are then slightly spaced apart from the body of the seal blank, but after the seal is closed they prevent pressing the upper and lower parts together. These also serve another purpose as hereinafter set forth. The extension 13 is then folded over the wings in their folded position preferably on the line between the notches 15. The seal may then be completed and closed in either of two ways:

First, the inner end of the seal is bent toward the outer end to form a loop and the inner end of the strip 10 is inserted through the slot 14 from the upper side of the eXtension 13 after the latter is folded over'the folded wings. The end of the strip'10 is then pushed under the folded wings until the slot 11 rests under the ends of the prongs 17. The ends of the prongs 17 normally rest vclose to the portion 20 in the depression 22, when theV wings are folded over, and when the end of the strip 10 is pushed under the wings and under the ends of the prongs 17,

it slightly raises the latter. When the inner end of the strip 10 is moved till the prongs i17w restrover the slot 11, the resiliency of the metal causes the ends of said prongs to drop into said vslot 11. Then when the end of the strip 10 is drawn back, the slot receives the prongs 17 and the end of the strip 10 slides up the inclined plane formed by said prongs. The slot 11 can not then be disengaged from the prongs 17 because for- /W'ard movement of the inner end of the strip 10 is prevented by the projections 18 which serve to lock the seal in its closed position, as shown in Figs. 4 and 7.

Second: I preferably complete and close my seal after the side wings are folded over as shown in Fig. 2, by folding the extension 13 back overthe folded wings. I then bend the inner end of the strip 10 over toward the extension 13, to form a loop, then insert it through the slot 14 from the under side thereof and draw the strip 10 through said slot as far as possible. The end of the tongue or extension 13 is then bent down as shown in Figs. 4 and 5. The inner end of the strip 10 is again bent to form a loop and again inserted through the slot 14, this time from the upper side, as shown in Fig. 4. The closing of the seal is completed as above setl forth. I

The method of finishing and` closing is the Isame when the modified form in Fig. 6 is used, except that the side wings 23 are folded over the strip 10. The construction of my seal in two pieces as shown in Figs. 6 and 7, makes possible the use of scraps of metal and avoids a large part of the waste which is necessary when the seal is constructed of one piece.

On a-ccountbf the depressions 21 and 19 in the strip 10, it is impossible for any one to cut the strip 1() close to the side wings 12, and then Ymake a new slot near the end where the slot 10 has been cut and insert that end under the folded portion of the wings 12, thus making an apparently perfect seal. Y p

Some of the special advantages of my seal are found in the construction of the depression 22 in which is received the prongs 17 and of the tongues 18 which prevent unlocking the seal after the prongs 17 are received in the slot 11. f

Having thus described my invention what I claim is:

1. In an improved seal of the class described a metal strip, side wings opposite each other spaced from the outer end of said strip and folded over said strip, an eXtension formed on the outer end of said strip, folded over the folded portion of said wing members and lconstructed with a transverse slot near its free enddesigned to receive the said strip, said strip being inserted through said last named slot, the inner end of said strip and the folded portions of said wing membersY kbeing provided with coacting means for locking said inner end When it is again inserted through said slot and under the said folded portions.

2, An improved seal comprising a metal strip, side Wings formed thereon opposite each other spaced from the outer end of said strip, said side Wings being folded over said strip, an extension formed at the outer end of said strip, said extension being folded over the folded portions of said side Wings, the folded portions of said side Wings and the free end of said strip beingconstructed With a slot and With prongs designed to enter and engage said slot When the inner end of said strip is inserted through the slot in said extension and under the folded portions of said Wing members.-

3. An improved seal comprising a metal strip, side Wings opposite each other spaced from the outer end of said strip, said Wings being folded over said strip, an extension formed at the outer end of said strip, provided With a transverse slot near its-free end, said extension being folded over the folded portions of said side Wings, the folded portions of said side Wings and the inner end of'sa'id strip being constructed With a slot and With prongs designed to enter and engage said slot When the inner end of said strip is inserted through the slot in said extension and under the folded portions of said side Wings, the folded portions of said side Wings being constructed With dovvn- 4 Ward extensions at their outer ends designed to engage the inner end of said strip and to prevent any movement of said end toward Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C. 

